Several law enforcement agencies in the Tampa Bay region suspended typical operations.
Several law enforcement agencies in the Tampa Bay region have suspended emergency services as Hurricane Milton made landfall in southwestern Florida Wednesday night.
Millions of residents were urged to evacuate ahead of the Category 3 storm reaching Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday night. The storm made landfall near Siesta Key around 8:30 p.m. ET, although its impact stung much earlier, with torrential downpours, storm surges and tornado warnings issued across the Sunshine State during the day Wednesday.
The Tampa Bay region has avoided getting directly struck by a hurricane for more than a century. The National Weather Service (NWS) said in a forecast Wednesday morning that Milton hitting just south of metro Tampa, home to over 3.3 million people, puts the city at an even higher risk of heavy rainfall and storm surge.
The storm will delay emergency services’ response time in the hardest-hit areas. Some law enforcement departments announced ahead of Milton making landfall that they planned to pull their officers off the road while conditions were life-threatening, adding that first responders would resume activity once conditions lightened.
Several road closures were also announced along Florida’s west coast. In Pinellas County, access to the barrier islands was closed Tuesday night, though remaining residents were still able to evacuate. The county Sheriff’s Office said in a post to its Facebook page that restricted access to the islands would be restored “once law enforcement determines it is safe to re-open.
